The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-27
WoNDEBJL SURGERY.
Nine Holes in , Intestines Success
fullpewed Up.
From the Icinndti Enquirer.


From the lcinndti Enquirer.
Last Sunday lanty" Mitchell a colored
man well known police circles, was shot
by Boo Bryanti jas Taylor, at a crap joint
at 700 West Sth street, owned by Leo
Thompson andln by one Henry Fisher.
Mitchell an,Bryant had been playing
craps, when / argument arose over the
payment of : Mitchell struck Bryant.
! Another friepf Bryant named Caldwell
lnterfcred, a during the scufiie Bryant
pulled his gulind, placing it close to Mitch
! ellis Stomachiired After auite chase
! Bryant was .ught and Mitchell was re-
/ moved TO thhospital An. examination
| showed that Il ball, fired from 44-calibre
| revolver, ented the abdomen, leaving a
! small round b a trifie above and to the
left of the um6cus. When he was taken
| 70 the ward heas writing in agony, and
from the hast examination made it was
believed that Il man could live but a few
hours. 4
The patient vs. removed to the surgical
ward, and DR.. rs. Conner was summoned
to attend the cas-
MORE ClsEFUL EXAMINATION
was made, fromshich the surgeon formed
the opinion thatne bal had penetrated the
stomach, and pIpably the intestines, either
of which is necessarily fatal. Under the
circumstances II wound would have been
treated only to Sc the patients pain, as
there is scarcel any hope for recovery
from an injuryf this character, but Mitch
ell is a man of he and powerful physique,
and DR.. nesthinking that his iron con-
stitution woulStand it, suggested the only
hope of safetythat of an operation. His
plan was to Cd, the abdomen and search for
the ball in thetomach and intesJines, al
though even this there was only slight
hone for recop1y.
The patient vas suffering intense pain,
although wit remarkable fortitude and
bravery, andb VAS this that prompted the
doctors suggstDn of an operation. The pa
tient'S wishes we're consulted, and the case
was fully eXpliled. He himself knew that
death was indiable if something was not
done, and on ht other hand he knew that
few persons utvived the operation more
than a few rlrs. Something had to be
done, and TIT at once, as every moment
the patient grv worse. He hesitated only
a moment anChen consented
Preparationwere begun at once. Instru-
ments to meeEery emergency that might
arise were
BRoUGHTyo THE OPERATING ROOM.
and every pecaution was taken to have
the operation Asult satisfactorily Perfect.
" cool and apparently unconcerned,
Mitchell allOpd the surgeons to remove his
clothing and ly him on the operating table.
DR.. Murphy vas present to act as DR.. Con
ner's assistant and administered the anas-
thetic, that son rendered the patient I'M
conscious. A title group of interested IN
ternes stood inpgroup about the operation
table, and desh-like silence reigned as the
surgeon removd his coat, preparatory to
making the probably fatal cut.
The usual testwas made, and the patient
was found read. Then DR.. Conner, with
a steady hand, lnde an incision extending
nearly the who length of the left side of
the abdomen. IS the knife pressed through
the flesh the inestines protruded, present
ing a sickeninesight, but the surgeon never
stopped, save 10 allow the blood to be
washed away. The external part of the
operation wasinished and then came the
extremely debate operation of removing
the intestines from their place As the
operation progressed, the surgeon proceeded
more slowly canning every part of the in
testine as it vas taken out, while the group
of young surgeons abut the table craned
their necks ad pressed up closer, fearful of
losing sight 4 a single move. Suddenly
the surgeon iaused in his movements, and
bending CLOG to the opening scanned it
hen for tae first time he
LooIED UP FROM HIS WORK
to his younger brothers about him, and
told by his looks that he had discovered the
cause of th trouble 1t was a small, round
hole in th intestine from which digested
food protrlaed, showing the course of the
ball. Thiswas cleansed of the foreign mat
ter and thesearch continued. Section after
section of t1e organ was removed, and in
each one tlBre was discovered the same in
nocent-looAng small round hole, scarcely
save for the particles of food
that protr1led from them. Nine such holes
were discovered, and in addition several
large blood yessels had been severed by the
ball, and tie prospect of saving the
patients lifewas indeed gloomy one DIR.
Conner. how,ver, never stopped for sec
Ond Again making sure that all foreign
matter had been washed away, he began
the delicate part of the operation. The in
besuTne was eized, the edges of the wound
brought together and with few quick mo-
lions, they w1re sewed together with dried
eat intestine and the wound was closed
This was repeated with each of the nine
holes, and after each had been securely
closed, and the blood washed away, the in
5estines were carefully put back into posi-
ion. DR.. Conner heaved a sigh of relief as
le finished the most tedious and delicate
part of the operation. and the ruptured
blood vessels we're soon ligatured.
THE EXTERNAL WOUND.
vas closed with silk and silver wire, and
Dr.. Conner stood back to view the work it
lad taken him over three hours to perform
md to hope for its favorable results. The
patient soon recovered and did not appear
o suffer much pain.
Since then Mitchell has steadily improved,
wen beyond the most sanguine hopes of the
The only danger epprehended at
his stage is from inflammation. This, it is
will set in, if at all, not later than
o-day, yet last night, while trifle more
estless and nervous, the patient showed no
igns of having Inflammation, and he is in
, ia ir way To recover